Haiti. Next month in New York, the international community's commitment to Haiti's reconstruction will face its first big test. At a meeting of donor nations and international organizations, the Haitian government is to present its preliminary reconstruction plan, which it hopes will set the stage for a large and lasting commitment by the rest of the world.
Afghanistan-Civilians Killed. One day after Afghan President Hamid Karzai made an impassioned plea for American-led forces to do more to avoid killing civilians in their fight against the Taliban, a NATO air strike killed as many as 33 civilians in southern Afghanistan.
Immigration. An ambitious, multibillion-dollar project to hot-wire the new Southwest border fence with high-tech radar, cameras, and satellite signals has been plagued with serious system failures and repeated delays and will probably not be completed for another seven years -- if it is finished at all.
Quote of the Day. "If you were to take the best engineers in the world and try to design the perfect plug for a child's airway, it would be a hot dog. I'm a pediatric emergency doctor, and to try to get them out once they're wedged in, it's almost impossible." Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH, on a study urging that hot dogs be "redesigned" so they are less likely to become stuck in children’s throats. About 17% of food-related asphyxiations in children are caused by hot dogs. (USA Today)
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